The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-09-27
SIGHTS SEEN IN CO5A.

IJpon the second day of our stay In
Havana the senators were invited TO the
home of the captain general, the invita-
ton being sent through the American
consul. Cen Williams. In accordance
with the invitation, the party of dis
tiguidos viaieros Americana" took car
riages about midday for the home of the
great dignitary in the suburbs.
We made funny string of dilapidated
victorias, simultaneously patched and
mended, and measly little horses, which,
in appearance, beat the mule in sorrow
full abstraction and utter hOpelessness.
We went in a heller SHELTER way UP the
Prado, past the Campo Marie, and out
the Paseo Tacon to the noted gardens and
country house of the Spanish ruler.
In the tropical gardens are worlds Of
fruits and vegetables, many Of which we
never see in the north. Why, to see
them once leaves your mouth a little like
that of hungry dog cycling forbidden
bone. In the same gardens there may
be cocoanuts, dates, lemons, oranges,
lines, sappadillos, zapotas, mammees,
pomegranates, bread fruit, bananas, tam
arinds, pine apples, mangoes, alligator
pears, star apples, grape fruit, guava,
custard apples, yams, rose apples, citrons,
and so ON in an endless list.
The workmen were negroes and few
coolies, slaves or ex-slaves, and some
were nearly naked and all naked to the
waist In the workshops I again OBJ
served a curious thing, and that is the
tendency to make all motions away from
the body. They sharpen pencils, white,
hew and saw never inward or toward
the body. 1t looks odd to see them saw
with the stick fixed In position and the
saw held perpendicular in front of it
with its back to the body, and thus raised
up and down. When person wishes to
beckon another, he holds up his hand
with palm outward, gives a sharp
''p-s-s-t, which is the universal hailing
signal in Cuba, and then waves his hand
outwardly in exactly the opposite motion
to what we would make.
While we gathered at the stables the
captain generals daughter had her splen.
did saddle horse, of pure Andalusian
blood and brought over from her home,
brought out and shown off for us, willis
a groom chung to him desperately to KEEP
him down out of the clouds.
Finally we returned to the house and
proceeded informally to the dining room,
where all were seated around a single
long table except the captain general
himself who remained standing behind
his daughters chair during the meal
Our party was a good deal embarrassed
by this, for, as we just filled the chairs.
it looked as though we had crowded out
our exalted host.
We then concluded that it was through
point of etiquette or ceremony that he
did not sit at table with us. So anxious
l.. Ia Il liz
daughter, and she explained that at such
affairs her father rarely seated himself
He liked to stand and overlook the table
and see that the servants neglected nc
one. He never ate at such entertain
ments, as he has weak stomach for In
dulgences, and takes only very plain ard
simple food regularly.
The servants were in gorgeous livery;
the wine was superb, so that some of the
connoisseurs of our party felt their eyes
sparkle, and the refreshments simple in
character and plentiful.
When it came to the champagne the
captain general made a speech, VIII l
was translated by the consul general, and
Mr.. Sherman responded, the consul gen
eral again translating, and all drank
standing The speeches were the usual
conventional exchanges of compliments
and good wishes, but the consul general
told us afterward that the captain general
spoke with more warmth and evident
sincerity than was usual with him on
such occasions.
Before we left an invitation was given
to come again in the evening, when there
would be music and dancing. A large
number of our party accepted, and our
young ladies were much admired, and
made q great impression. The Spaniards
were greatly pleased at the ladies coming
and dancing, and our young man showed
some of the senoritas a thing or two in
waltzing.
The more we saw of Cuban women the
more unqualifedly we acknowledged
their wonderful beauty. We hardly saw
hOmely woman in Havana, and we saw
some beautiful beyond description.
There is a sameness about the beauty
that might in the collective grow little
mOnOtonous, but an individual instance
is Incompatible.
Even if the face is not otherwise fine
the lustrous eyes can light up and glorify
it, and the eyes of the Cuban women are
like stars of the summer night, and the
velvety black masses of hair bound about
their heads and thrust through with
gold bodkin, after custom immemorial in
old Spain, truly woman's crown of glory.
The sensuous perfection of their forms in
soft and graceful outlines, the witchery
of the dark eyes and alluring lips full
and rich, the sly grace of the fan or
cigarette, the dainty, arched feet, with
gold embroidered black stockings, and
that most beautiful of all ornaments for
the head the mantilla, have often been
celebrated in song and story and poetry,
but they never received any more praise
or admiration than they deserved
Cuba Cor. Cincinnati Commercial Ga